Exploratory Essay

Professor Rodwell
FIQWS 10103
11/01/2020

Language and Communication: A Relationship

Language is an unmistakably human action that guides the conveyance of emotions and ideas from one individual to the other. It is the manner by which humans express their thoughts and feelings through the use of sounds, images, motions, signs, and stance that pass on a specific importance. Among humans, language is the primary method for communication. It is through language correspondence, spoken or composed, that humans can share their thoughts, sentiments, perspectives, and feelings with someone else making for a more effective communication. In plenty of cases, the words “language” and “communication” are utilized parallel to one another. Both terms are used to describe the action of talking between people. Although this may often be the case, there is a distinct division between the terms. In spite of the fact that language significantly complements communication, they must not be mistaken for the same thing.

Where language can be seen as a tool, communication on the other hand could be viewed as an experience. One can describe communication as an act of interchanging ideas, messages, or information from one person or place to another, via signs or words which can be understood by both participants. Communication is a necessary activity for all groups. The way members of a group cooperate together depends on it. In order for any group to function effectively, communication is imperative. Though new words are added to the dictionary of language almost daily, the basics of communication do not change. Though communication encompasses language, communication has a wider scope. Language allows people to communicate in a variety of ways, but it is only one of the tools in a larger prism. The communication toolset has many different components like empathy, knowledge, facial expressions, body language, and intonation. Spoken Language being one component in the toolset of communication. Luckily today, there is a wider range of communication methods available for people to utilize.Face-to-face interaction, emails, phone calls, television, social media platforms, advertisements, signs, and fliers, are some examples of these methods.

The way reality is represented by language and how people communicate with one another is being studied by the Philosophy of Language. According to Henry and Renée Kahane , Linguistic Relativity holds that “the structure of a language affects its speakers’ world view or cognition” (Kahane and Kahane). Cognitive Scientist Lera Boroditsky and American Linguist Mark Liberman, refer to Sapir–Whorf hypothesis also known as Whorfianism, as “a principle that is often defined to include two versions of Linguistic Relativity”. The stronger rendition on the subject states that language “determines thought, and that linguistic categories limit and determine cognitive categories”, whereas the weak rendition states that “linguistic categories and usage only influence thought and decisions” (Boroditsky and Liberman). The language and thought connections are constructed on how words shape someone’s thought process. Thoughts could not be formulated without words. Words are used to describe things to ourselves and others that affect thoughts and actions. In a plethora of situations, words play a vital role. Undoubtedly with language when it pertains to communicative teaching and education. Close to 100 percent of all humans worldwide have speaking skills at an average level. Only a few demonstrate language usage effectively to its maximum capacity. According to Novelconcept.org, “Language Proficiency is the ability of an individual to use language with a level of accuracy that transfers meaning in production and comprehension” (Zeplin). A lack thereof, could result in poor communication. Humans are said to use basic conversational fluency at an estimation of only 3,000 words. While native level fluency has a required dictionary with a firm estimate between 20,000 and 40,000 words. Word learning is required in order to become proficient in any language. According to Paul Blooms and Lori Markson’s Capacities Underlying Word Learning, it is indicated that children learn their first words by the time they are 12 months and 900 words by the time they are 36 months, along with sounds that could be understood by those who interact with them often (Bloom and Markson). The development of language proficiency can also play a part in the improvement of one’s ability to communicate on a larger scale.

The tool of language allows people the opportunity to relay information back and forth. It is the first form of network communication. It took humans thousands of years to enhance and master language in efforts to make communication more effective and efficient. In more recent times language has become digitized due to the creation of the internet and computers. A larger amount of people have been using language as a means of communication, and transferring knowledge and information more than any other time recorded in the historical existence of mankind. Hence, constantly creating new groundbreaking avenues for effective communication.

Another important and common form of language is sign language. Sign Language communication is conveyed through motions of the hands. The most common sign language is American Sign Language, usually referred to as ASL. It is used in most countries across the world and modified in varying countries. It is said that methods of communicating with hand gestures date back to as far as 5th century BC Greece. Whereas the history of sign language in western civilizations go as far back to the 17th century, where it was perceived as a visual method of communicating. Sign language is a composed system of standard signals, mimicry, hand gestures, positions, and spelling with the use of fingers (Ohna, S.E). Sign language may also be used to represent complete ideas and phrases, along with single words. They are utilized predominantly by deaf people as a means to communicate and it differs in the format of other verbal languages used adjacent to them. In the 16th century, a Spanish Benedictine monk named Pedro Ponce de Leon, is credited as the first person to create and teach formal sign language for the hearing impaired. It is noted that it was not an original idea (Silver-Swartz). Sign language was created from a natural process being that it is the natural language for the deaf. Different sign languages are used worldwide. Thus, conceived from the need for education, language, and communication for the hearing impaired. Body language plays an important role in communication. It can convey feelings and messages. But since most body language occurs subconsciously, it can not be considered a legitimate language. People are becoming more and more skilled in understanding the posture of others by educating themselves on the topic of body language. In spite of their similarities, body language and sign language should never be mistaken. Sign languages are complete languages. Like spoken language, it also has its own complex grammar structure (Klima and Bellugi). Sign language also displays the fundamental properties that exist in every other language. Body language, on the other hand, does not have a grammar structure set up and must be broadly interpreted. There is no absolute meaning corresponding with any particular movement, therefore it can not be considered a language like sign language. It was merely termed a “language” by common culture. According to the New York Times, Ray Birdwhistell, an anthropologist who wanted to study how people communicated with each other using non-verbal signals coined the term “body language” in 1952.

Being that communication is a basic human need, the primary means of doing so is through shared language. The more humans obtain the capability of communicating over languages, they will achieve global interaction. In the twenty-first century the spread of language has increased immensely over time and continues to do so. It is often taken for granted that language, as it relates to modern culture, can spread very quickly. As a primary and now required tool of communication, the enhancement and evolution of language usage is inevitable. Ultimately continuing to simplify communication for all. It should be recognized the manner in which language and communication complement each other, thus bringing out the best in one another. Language is not a rival of communication. In fact, language and communication have a tight friendship. Language will help humans to push forward in life, where the lack of language can stagnate progression and limit one’s communication. The broader a person’s vernacular, the better they can communicate on a wider scope. In regards to verbal language, having a grand vocabulary is like possessing a massive library as a guide throughout life. Whether speaking,
writing, or using physical signals… language, its importance, its impact, and its relationship to communication is evident in a beneficial way.

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